Complete High End Solutions for music

Testimonials

"I've been involved in audio for 40 years, including the halcyon days of the 70's and 80's when HiFi really "took off". I have spent countless hours and dollars on my search for audio happiness. A few months ago I stumbled onto the SGR website and was immediately drawn to their active speakers. I have always been interested in active speakers but the prices have been prohibitive. The advantages of active speakers are that there is no phasing problems and each driver receives exactly the power it needs...say goodbye to expensive power amps! I spoke at length with Stuart at SGR and found him to be incredibly well informed and attentive...a trait sorely lacking in the HiFi industry.

I ended up listening to a pair of SGR's CX3B three way bookshelf active speakers . These are a sealed box 3 way speaker and come in the most gorgeous finishes I have seen! Stuart and his family gave me the most generous audition of audio gear. I've had...a genuine revelation.

Anyway, these little speakers are amazing. The integration between the drivers is seamless and, believe or not, the bass reaches down to the quoted figure of 35hz. Mind you, these speakers give the option of an 80hz bypass through to a sub...very clever idea!

I would urge anyone who wants to deal with a company with cutting edge knowledge and a superior product to contact Stuart at SGR"

"I first met Stuart from SGR Audio when I bought some amplifiers from him a few years ago. I noticed at the time that he was building active speakers and became very interested. I watched the SNA forums pretty closely for the development of the CX3B and then CX4F range of active loudspeakers. I made my attentions known to Stuart that I was interested in purchasing a set of CX4F's when he had them ready for the market. As some people know and will experience, as soon as this happens you become part of the big SGR family. I was visited by Harry and Ann, Stuart's parents, when they were in New Zealand shortly after. Amazing stuff, they could not do enough for me.

So the wait began and 4 months later I received my set of long awaited CX4F's.

The CX4F's arrived into New Zealand very well packed and damage free, the whole shipping part drama free, and Stuart was always in contact the whole way through. The unpacking was just incredible, to see these beasts for the first time was pretty moving, indeed they were just beautiful, the Ball grain Sapeli finish just magnificent. They were easy enough to set up and I had them in place and warming up within a hour of unpacking.

When I fired the CR4F's up... all I can say is they are absolutely bloody perfect. I have never listened to a speaker that has the ability these have of portraying the emotion in the music. They can bring tears to your eyes, (of joy).

From the moment of sitting down in front of these, with the first track of music playing through a SA-60 Esoteric CD/SACD player, controlled by a TRI Valve pre-amp, I was once again back where I was a few years ago. You just cannot in my opinion, beat that Amp to Speaker Driver matched interface, they sounded magical indeed.

Six months later, the CX4F's continued to get better, the bass, full and tight, the sweetest mid and the sparkling top end, a sound stage that extends way above the speakers and on good recorded CDs way beyond their outer sides. They are toe tapping head nodding addictive.

I am not going into the usual Audiophile bullshit, I am not into that, I like a speaker that gets out of the way of the music, it places the music on a stage like a live performance. My criteria for a good speaker is, if I can sit down in front of a speaker where my head nods or foot taps, I feel relaxed not edgy or fidgety and if I feel I can fall into dream world, I know I am sitting in front of a good system and matched speakers.

I have been along an expensive journey and boy there is some bad sounding speakers out there, thin, edgy full of sibilance uakka. I know I have owned a few pairs now. Fortunately I found Stuart, Harry & Ann at SGR Audio, I reckon I have found my last set of speakers.

"After approximately 24-30mths of listening to a variety of speakers at various price points, I finally settled on the CX4Fs + CX3C for my surround and 2 channel set-up.

Some of the speakers that were auditioned were the VAF I-93 Mk1 & 2, B&W 802D, Focal Be-1037 & Be-1038, Piega TC-70X's, Legacy Audio Focus HD, Sonus Faber Cremona M and Whatmough P33S to name a few. The speakers they would be replacing were the Tannoy Saturn S8s, which had served their purpose very well for 10 years.

I had not even considered active speakers due to the strong attachment I had with my Bryston power amp. However, somewhere along the journey I realised that whilst many of the speakers were a step up from the S8's they were not providing the kind of sound I was prepared to accept and live with for the next 10 years.

The sound I was hearing from all of the speakers did not seem to justify the substantial increase in expenditure. I was looking for significant improvements in all areas above and beyond the S8's. What I was experiencing was some speakers provided huge improvements in bass, others mid-range whilst some excelled at the high range.

Well what more can I say, the speakers turned out to be exactly what I was looking for- substantial improvements in all areas- I'm not going to even try to elaborate- read rippingdragons assessment- his words summed up all my experiences.

So after nearly 3 years I have my new speakers and I when I sit down and listen to a disc, I am reminded of why I bought them. The whole experience with the SGR guys has been absolutely excellent and I would like to thank Stuart, Harry, Anthony and of course Dejan. These guys are a pleasure to deal with and I highly recommend their services."

"Many thanks for delivering the new Myryad CD player last night, after your long day of install work, it was much appreciated.

Things returned to somewhat of normality in our household last night after a turbulent week of family returning from oversees and so on.
Finally Rachel and I had the opportunity to settle back, listen to some favorite music, played through a fantastic audio combination. (SGR CX4F fully active speakers matched with Myryad MXC700 CD player & MXP2000 Preamp)

We were all smiles and did enjoy a glass or two of red wine and before we knew it the time was approaching midnight.
Once again Terry thank you for introducing us to this incredible audio combo. As a couple that appreciate amongst other things in life good music, we believe we will enjoy many hours of listening."

Sorry, did not reply your email very details last time. Been very very busy at work and flying in and out Sydney all the time. I have a few chance to listen the CX3B but i don't want to spend too much time on the speaker for stock cable. As i know i won't able to hear the true potential of the speakers. And i won't waste time to use the stock cable sounds to review or do any comparison.

One of the reason i do not write up the feedback too early is i don't want the exciting feeling over the realistic of sounds. As most people (myself is one of them) will feel very exciting when the new item just arrive and say they are the better. After weeks/months later and think the items doesn't really sounds that good. So i want to leave the speaker a while to do some casual listening while waiting for better cable arrive. After weeks pass, i finally doing some very serious listening with new power cords and XLR cable.

anyway long story short, I do like to write review or comments on public, but i feel i should give some feedback as a happy consumer. So excuse my english and spare me 2-3 mins to read.

I am currently using Ayon Cd5s as pre/cd player and Jungson Monitor Silver XLR (made in china but superior quality and good value cable) to put into SGR CX3B. The sounds is so impressive. Compare to stock cable, i can hear straight away a very good margin improved. Sounds stage wide and deep,more details coming out,Very very very very well Balance and full body presentation.

After that, i decide to purchase another 2 X Jungson monitor silver power cords. Bass have much more weight but no booming effect in my room at all. The sounds even more enjoyable.

If you really want me to rate how much cable had improve the speaker? I would say about 25% improvement compare to stock cable. It defintely worth it for less than 2k cables and bring out 20-25% potential sounds.

SGR defintely sounds the best so far in my very small listening room. The mid is a clear win to me. Bass is not over booming but enough for me. For a 3M X 4M room size, you don't want any part over to each other. Balance on top mid and bottom is most important to me. Optional added sub idea perfectly suit for people who might move to bigger size room in future. Myself as a buyer, i feel the sub upgrade option is very very helpful. Instead of replace the speaker, adding a small amount of fund can achieve the upgrade already. There is downside for SGR compare to Wilson Bensch Act seems to giving me more details. But price is more than double and without a power amp. In my 3X4M listening room, I prefer the SGR CX3B more at this stage.

With the value of less than 8k, these pair speakers are not be the best sounds but sure the best value you can get to for combine Power Amp / Speaker in CP value. I would rate the sounds quality they produce are equal to something 12-14k value combo.

Moreover, a lot people consider only consider the quality of sound when purchasing the speaker and forgot about the finished looking and resales value. Sorry i do not buy something just sounds good and look ugly and sitting is my lounge. As a part of furniture sitting inside my lounge, i can said SGR CX3B speakers have met more that i expected from what it sounds and how it look far by its value.

Lastly, will i sell this speakers and move on? Well yes, i am sure one day i will move on and going something i am interest. But i can say it will be very tough decision for future, consider to the price, the sounds and the look what CX3B offered."

Last April, I intended to organise a home computer audio setup. I eventually found that I had neither the expertise nor interest to get the project to fruition. It was always my intention to get the computer side of things sorted before upgrading my speakers.

I took a visit to see Stuart at SGR Audio to discuss the MusicKube product he is developing. Whilst I was there I had a listen to the CX4F speakers. It was at about this time my Melody amp was starting to misbehave. The idea of active speakers, done well, could solve both my impending amplifier and speaker upgrade in one product!

I initially listened to separate amplifier and speaker set ups in the $10 - 20 K range - and did not fall for any of them. I then listened to some other active speakers. I finally settled on a choice between two products. I auditioned the CX4s and the Adam Gammas. Stuart and Warwick were both very generous with their time during this process.

In the end I chose the SGR speakers for a very simple reason. They sounded better to me when playing CDs of my music.

I think the speakers are extremely well designed and constructed. The piano black finish is immaculate and the CX4s handle a wide variety of music styles extremely well.

When I first had the speakers installed (in a 4.5 X 13 m room) I thought they were... good. To be honest I was a bit disappointed, but thought it was about all I could expect from the room. With Stuart's help I have been able to make some very positive adjustments to the active controls. They now sound much, much more like a live performance. I now think they are much better than ... good.

The service from Stuart, and his family, has been outstanding. Never once did I get a hard sell. During the second audition I was left alone with my music and the controls, and a "Come and get us if you need us".

Stuart appreciated that, for me, the purchase was a significant outlay. He has even lent me some gear, until I decide if the MusicKube is a product I will buy.

I got back from vacation on Monday last week and Stuart of SGR shipped my new CX4F active speakers out that afternoon. They arrived in Adelaide just before 8 am the next day, and were up and running a few hours later. I'd like to thank Stuart (and Harry and Ann) for their generosity, their great service, and their commitment to music reproduction. Stuart went to great lengths to ensure I got exactly the speakers I wanted.

I tried a few different locations and have finalised (so far) on much the same position as my previous speakers, but about 20 cm further out from the wall to increase the depth of the sound image. Positioning was much less critical than the previous speakers and the 'sweet spot' is much larger. This was important because I really wanted to avoid having to put the speakers somewhere where I could no longer enjoy the view from the living room windows. The speakers themselves just disappear into the music and I am unable to precisely "locate" the speakers (from the sound) even with my eyes open.

My response to them has been to sleep less and get so involved with the music that I just want to listen to "1 more track" or "1 more side" or "just a bit longer" until it is long past my bedtime. Every time I try to evaluate what the system is producing that generates this state of mind, I lose track and get involved in the music. For me, this is a great outcome.

When I first attached my ME 15/850 to my last set of speakers it seemed to me that the ME took complete control of the speakers and had a much firmer "grip" than the Hafler. This increased my enjoyment a lot and let me hear more from both LP and CD.

The SGR's seem to have 'opened the tap' much wider and the music just POURS out and floods the room. (It's like going to a full flow shower after using one of the water-saver heads.) There is just so much more music in the room! I am hearing things that I never knew were on the record--both in detail and in the astounding bass extension.

just a quick note to let you know that Mum (Chris) and Pat couldn't be
happier with their speakers. They don't currently have an internet
connection, otherwise they would be writing themselves.

I visited with them last night and the speakers look and sound
spectacular in their room. The furniture has already been rearranged
to better accommodate listening which is a sure sign that mum is
terribly impressed :)

"I have known the team from SGR Audio for over 5 years, during which time I have witnessed their boundless passion for producing the very best loudspeakers and electronics possible.

I felt completely at ease from the moment I walked through the front door of the Ralston's home in Warrandyte, not only because of the welcoming demeanour of my hosts, but also because there were no high pressure sales tactics or denigration of competitor's products, something I had encountered all too often in my many years in high end audio. I was left in peace to evaluate the capabilities of the many beautiful and impeccably finished products on display and my technical questions were always politely answered. To cut a long story short, I was sold not only on the MT3F loudspeaker system which I went on to purchase, but also on the integrity of the extremely hard working people behind these locally designed and built products.

As the MT3F loudspeaker system has evolved, so to has the performance of my own audio playback system which now also includes the stellar digital source from California-based MSB Technology, one of several world class products made available to discerning music lovers in Australia and New Zealand by SGR Audio.

I have had the opportunity to sample most of the SGR Audio range of loudspeakers and electronics over the years and I can confidently recommend any of them from both a performance and reliability point of view. There are very few products in audio which stand the test of time and today it is harder than ever to find the really good stuff in a cynical industry which all too often wrongly equates high performance with high price and/or bragging rights. I love my SGR Audio MT3F loudspeaker system even more today than when they first took up residence in my listening room some 4 years ago. Without them I would not have been in a position to increase my understanding and appreciation for both audio reproduction and acoustic music. An associate asked me late last year when I would be selling my speakers and moving onto something else. I simply replied that, short of stepping up the SGR Audio food chain to the big Illuminator system, the MT3Fs are keepers.

No words can possibly convey the admiration and respect which I have for the SGR Audio team. I can't thank them enough for their constant hard work and ongoing support and I wish them every much deserved success for the future.
"

"We have had the pleasure of owning an SGR Audio based surround home theatre system since November 2010.

Having spent the previous 18 months auditioning various well known brands without success,we were introduced to the Ralston family through a friend of a friend who owns a set of SGR speakers. Whilst the CX3B Standmounts were good it was the CX4F Floorstanders that really impressed us.

On our second visit Stuart had them set up for us as a surround system together with a CX3C Centre and two SV15 Subwoofers. After a short listening session we placed an order.

We had found the sound were searching for at a very reasonable price. No need for any hard sell as the speakers sold themselves. In fact we were very impressed with the whole buying experience which was laid back yet informative.

During our search we had given up trying to find an above average surround system that wasn't going to cost mega dollars and had been auditioning two channel systems for the same price as the SGR surround system. Our search criteria had originally been to have an excellent two channel system within a surround setup and with SGR Audio we were able to achieve this.

Stuart's after sales service for upgrades and system tweaks has been great. We cannot recommend SGR Audio as a family business highly enough.

"I was first introduced to SGR well before they become a household name.

My first experience was at an invite event at SGR headquarters.

I was astounded by what these guys were producing. Speaker systems
which in my opinion could easily match some of the best around the
world.

At the time I never thought I could ever afford such speakers.

Having stayed in touch with SGR and finally having enough funds to
consider these speakers, I asked for an in home audition.

The speakers were brought to my home, set up and left there for a
couple of weeks so I could get well acquainted with them.

There were no hard sales, no pestering phone call, and they also knew
I was auditioning other speakers at the same time.

After this time, my mind was made up and I had decided to order a pair
of SGR octagons.

I have now lived with these speakers for almost 3 years. In that time,
I have also purchased SGR centre speaker and subwoofers. The service
as always has been outstanding.

Every speaker system was delivered by SGR, setup by and tuned by them.
They did not leave until I was completely satisfied.

I have yet to find a speaker system to better the SGR octagons, and I
dare say these will be the speakers that will remain with me for a
very long time. And with the after sale service one receives from SGR,
I know if I ever have any problems, they will be resolved very
quickly.

I can highly recommend SGR to anybody out there looking for a great
speaker system.